Is purinethol a chemotherapy drug?
Purinethol is an anti-cancer (“antineoplastic” or “cytotoxic”) chemotherapy drug. Purinethol is classified as an “antimetabolite.” (For more detail, see “How Purinethol Works” section below).
What is purinethol used for?
This medication is used to treat a certain type of cancer (acute lymphocytic leukemia). It is a chemotherapy drug that works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells. Talk to the doctor about the risks and benefits of mercaptopurine, especially when used by children and young adults.
What class of drug is mercaptopurine?
Mercaptopurine is in a class of medications called purine antagonists. It works by stopping the growth of cancer cells.
Who manufactures purinethol?
PURINETHOL (mercaptopurine) was synthesized and developed by Hitchings, Elion, and associates at the Wellcome Research Laboratories. Mercaptopurine, known chemically as 1,7-dihydro-6H-purine-6-thione monohydrate, is an analogue of the purine bases adenine and hypoxanthine.
Is Purinethol the same as mercaptopurine?
Mercaptopurine (6-MP), sold under the brand name Purinethol among others, is a medication used for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Specifically it is used to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Is Purinethol an immunosuppressant?
Immunosuppression. Mercaptopurine is immunosuppressive and may impair the immune response to infectious agents or vaccines. Due to the immunosuppression associated with maintenance chemotherapy for ALL, response to all vaccines may be diminished and there is a risk of infection with live virus vaccines.
Is mercaptopurine the same as azathioprine?
Both azathioprine and mercaptopurine are produced by a number of manufacturers under different brand names. Azathioprine can be known as Imuran, Azafalk, and Azapress; while mercaptopurine can be known as Puri-nethol. Mercaptopurine is also sometimes called 6-mercaptopurine or 6-MP.
Is purinethol an immunosuppressant?
Is mesalamine the same as mesalazine?
Oral mesalazine (also known as mesalamine) is a 5-aminosalicylic acid compound used in the treatment of mild to moderate ulcerative colitis, with high rates of efficacy in induction and maintenance of remission.